Chapter 151 Riding out

Chapter 151 Riding out
Koth woke up before the sun was up. It was the day they had been waiting for since finding the artefact. They would head out to destroy it. He stayed quiet and still in the bed. He was on his back with Irin splayed across him. He smiled in the darkness. He took the time to memorise the feeling. If things didn't go their way, this was a memory he wanted to call on in his final moments. Irin stirred in his arms and he tightened his hold on her, making sure she didn't slide off him and out of bed as she stretched.
"Is it time?" she whispered.
"Almost." She cuddled closer to him.
"I love you," she said.
"I love you too, little one."
"I need you not to do anything stupid or heroic," she told him. "I need you to come back home with me. I have just found my home; I'm not ready to let it go." There was a slight tremble to her words. Koth tilted her head up and kissed her.
"I won't, and that goes for you as well. You are an amazing swordswoman, and your magic is powerful, but please look after yourself."
"Deal," she agreed. They held each other for a moment longer before slipping out of bed. They dressed and Koth made sure her sword was fastened properly on her back. He was so used to it, he didn't need to see it to know where the straps should go. Irin handed him the dagger he kept as his only weapon and together they walked downstairs. Koth made tea as Irin fried eggs and sausages. Nenhir came down not long after them and set the table. Meghart and Melir joined them. They ate in silence and everyone helped clear up before going out and saddling the horses. They only brought food and water for a couple of days.
"I thought you would bring a sword," Nenhir said to Irin as they all mounted.
"Who says I'm not?" she asked. Koth chuckled and led the way towards the back road down the hill.
"You are kidding me! This has been here the whole time? And you have made me go up and down the steps?" Meghart asked. Koth shrugged. They were at the city gates before they were open and sat waiting, watching the dawn break over the landscape. The gates opened and Jacob, Almot, Senaya and Libero came riding out. After them came a group of priests and clerics, no more than ten in total. Introductions were made and they set off.
"Irin, you will be the lead cleric," Jacob told her. She nodded, and Glima, her horse, fell in behind his. Koth followed her. This was official temple business and it felt strange not to hide or be discreet as they rode down the road. First came four clerics, one from each temple, holding their banners. Then came the head of each temple, followed by their designated lead cleric, effectively their bodyguard. Then the rest of the clerics and priests in a single line behind each leader. They were all dressed in the colours of their temple: Alesseja's followers wore green, Neprim's wore blue and silver, Noxa's wore black and gold, and Holea's wore purple. It was an impressive sight as they rode down the road, four almost homogeneous lines of riders. The exception was Alesseja's temple. Irin was dressed in her green cleric dress and melted into the formation, but Koth stood out with his size and his rust-red robe that Irin had given him. There was no better robe to wear on a mission like this, according to him. Since the other wizards knew no one else apart from Koth and Irin, they rode behind the pair, with Melir following close behind.
Jacob looked over his shoulder and grinned.
"I think I have the strongest group," he called to the other heads. They all looked back and saw the group of wizards riding behind him.
"Just because you managed to snag Irin before the rest of us. If your goddess wasn't the jealous type, we would have recruited her," Libero called back. The four of them laughed as one.
"Let's be honest, all of our gods are the jealous type," Senaya pointed out and they laughed again. They maintained a good speed as they thundered down the road. People got out of their way; even trading caravans moved to the side and stood waiting for them to pass. People watched in awe; it was unusual for the four temples to join forces. They were, in a way, rivals, competing for worshippers and being influenced by their gods' internal squabbles. Everyone knew that if they rode together, something big was going on, big enough to put old animosities aside. For Koth, it was a new feeling riding out in a force like this. When he and Irin had been travelling, they had tried not to get noticed, and especially to ensure people didn't know they were on a mission. Now it felt as if they could just as well have a herald riding ahead of them, proclaiming what they were doing. They rode the entire day and when the sun started to set, they made camp by the side of the road. Everyone was travelling lightly, so no tents had been brought. They would all sleep under the stars. Luckily it was a warm summer night and they only needed a blanket to protect them from the ground. Irin walked around the camp as they settled in, talking to priests and clerics she hadn't spoken to since she had left almost a year before. Koth joined her and he got some looks from the people around them. He didn't care. He would stick close to her no matter what happened. This was almost over; he would not accept them stumbling at the finish line. After their walk, they returned to the place where they had put down their blankets. Meghart, Melir and Nenhir were already sitting on their blankets, looking at the fire where they had started cooking dinner. As they ate, the heads of the temples came and asked to join them.
"We need to discuss what will happen tomorrow. We have made good progress; we are more than halfway there and should arrive tomorrow afternoon," Jacob said.
"Should we wait and start the ritual the morning after? I think it might be better to do it in daylight," Nenhir asked.
"We considered that, but the road is close to the stones; it would be harder to close it down during the day. At night we just need to send two clerics in either direction to make sure no night-time travellers stumble into the middle of it all," Libero said.
"And we are also trying to maximise our strength, and as Noxa is the goddess of the night, we are more powerful then," Senaya added.
"Night-time it is," Meghart agreed.
"I have made talismans to ward against possession. I don't have enough for everyone. We need to know how we should prioritise who receives them. Usually I would suggest that the one with weaker magic should get the protection, as the stronger ones can usually fight it off on their own. But now..." Irin said.
"Now you are worried that Vexirin's spirit has grown so strong that not even the stronger ones can resist," Koth finished her sentence. She nodded.
"Maybe it's better to protect the stronger ones since we don't want to fight one of the high priests who is supercharged with Vexirin's spirit," she said.
"Good thinking," Nenhir told her.
"Yes, not only would it be more difficult because of the power of a possessed high priest, but their followers would have a hard time attacking the head of their faith," Almot agreed.
"Make sure to hand out the amulets to the heads of the temples, your group, the lead clerics, and then the rest, in that order as far as they will go," Jacob told her. She nodded. They decided that the clerics they had brought with them should form a circle around the place and light fires for illumination. Then they would make sure no one came into or left the stone circle until it was all over. The priests and priestesses would be inside the circle, assisting the heads of the temples.
"Koth will be responsible for the artefact; what he says goes," Senaya said. Everyone nodded.
"Irin, you and the other lead clerics will protect us and the rest of the wizards will support Koth and provide backup where needed," Jacob said. They all agreed. No one knew what was waiting for them the next night, but no one thought it would be easy.